Season of the Brave
by Jian Solaris
Summary: Rewrite of Season 4. Emma thought her days of being the savior were over, but a new curse is brewing. It's up to Emma, and a very spirited young princess, to break the beastly curse before everyone in Storybrook becomes a monster.
1. Chapter 1

Season of the Brave

Summary: Rewrite of Season 4. Emma thought her days of being the savior were over, until she realized that she brought a new curse with her. It's up to Emma, and a very spirited young princess, to break the beastly curse, before everyone in Storybrook becomes a monster.

**DISCLAIMER**: I don't own "Once Upon A Time." All rights belong to ABC and Katsis and Horowitz.

Prologue

The joy of a family reuniting was mixed with the cacophonic sound of a heart breaking. People in the diner watched as Robin reunited with his lost wife Marian, but it was Emma, her chest tight with dread, who saw Regina's face lose all its brightness. Her once serene smile morphed into a look of bitter loss and resentment as she turned to Emma. ''You,'' she whispered, ''you did this.''

''I just wanted to save her life.'' Emma replied weekly. Robin happily left the diner with his family, taking the last of Regina's happiness with him. With him gone, all that was left for Regina was to shift her newfound sadness onto Emma. ''You're just like your mother, never thinking of consequences.''

''I didn't know.'' Emma replied quickly.

Regina scoffed. ''Of course you didn't.'' Words failed Emma. She could save a town from a curse, fight witches and evil sorcerers, but she could never bring back the happiness she stole from Regina. Before she turned away, Regina said, ''Well you just better hope to hell you didn't bring anything else back.''

Regina fled the diner, breathing quickly in hopes of holding back her despair. Emma chased after her, trying to apologize, but Regina snapped at her once more before leaving Emma all alone, and completely unaware that another misery was beginning to unfold elsewhere.

Far in the outskirts of Storybrook, stood a lonely, old barn. Gone were the wicked witch that had used the barn for her evil spell and, in the barn, everything was quiet. The circles on the floor that the witch had carved to use for her spell lay forgotten. Yet something new stood in the barn, despite the fact that no one had been there for hours, not since Emma and Hook reappeared there. It was an urn that lay on its side. Slowly, the top of the urn twisted and fell onto the floor. Blue liquid oozed from the urn's opening, until a puddle completely covered the circles in the dirt. Then the liquid began to rise, twisting and bending into a shape. The liquid solidified and faded, revealing a person.

She was not tall, nor was she young. She brought her wrinkled, dry hand up and snapped her fingers. The urn she had come from turned into dust. In front of her stood the barn's large entrance, and the forest beyond. With a small chuckle, she walked with the ease of a much younger woman out of the barn.

* * *

><p>Chapter One: Ursa Major<p>

The smell of the forest was heavenly. The crisp, chilly feeling of the morning air filled Robin's lungs as he sat on a log at the merry men's camp, watching his son play with his mother. Roland chased after Marian happily, tugging on her dress when he caught her. Marian, in turn, would pick the boy up, hold him over her head and spin him in circles. Robin smiled as Roland laughed, but he only half smiled as other thoughts intruded into his mind. Once Roland's feet touched the floor, he turned to Robin, running up to his father with excitement still dancing his eyes.

''Papa,'' he put his hands on Robin's knees, ''can we go see Regina later?''

And with that, Robin's half smile became a full on frown. He looked at Marian. She stood with her eyes on Roland, but her grin had been replaced with confusion and nervousness. Yet, before Robin could come up with an excuse to give his son, a roar came from within the forest. Though the sound was faded, it didn't stop Marian from picking up Roland in fright. Seconds later, the merry men rose from their sleeping mats, and picked up their weapons. Robin fingered his crossbow, pointing it before him as he looked between the trees in the distance.

There was another roar. Little John came to Robin's side, holding his wooden staff in front of him. The sound of crunching foliage grew louder as a shadow moved within the trees. Robin ordered Marian to run with Roland and she wasted no time to flee. As Roland's yells for his father faded into the distance, the shadow loomed closer. A bushes shook as the creature moved through it. At the edge of the clearing, between the leaves, appeared a nose. Little John whispered to Robin. ''It looks like it's a bear. Do we still have that pepper stuff the Sheriff gave us?''

''In my tent.'' Robin said. John gestured to one of the merry men with his hands. With a nod, their comrade moved toward the tent just as the bear began to advance. Robin gripped his crossbow harder, lining his eye up with the aiming lens, his line of sight directly on the bear's nose. Through the lens, he saw the bear move its massive body into view. He gestured with two fingers, signaling his men to step back. The snout was oddly long for a black bear. There was a thump as the bear's paws hit the floor. The vibration traveled through the ground, and Robin felt his legs tremble because of it. The men behind him let out a nervous breath. Robin turned his head to look at his them only to see their eyes and mouths open wide.

When Robin turned to look back at the bear, he knew why his men were afraid. The creature had moved out from the bush and stood on its hind legs. Fifteen feet tall, its red eye surveyed its prey. Its thick furry hide was full of scars, arrows and broken swords stood out from its back. Four, long, black claws rose up into the air before the great paw fell forward, swiping the space between itself and Robin.

Robin only had seconds to jump backward away from the bear and fire an arrow directly into the creature's neck. He might was well have thrown a pebble against a wall, for the bear was then on all fours, charging forward with its crooked, drooling jaw wide as it got closer to Robin.

''Run!'' Someone yelled. The men scattered, running in any direction away from the beast. The bear howled as it chased whatever was unfortunate to be closest to it, trampling down one unlucky man under its paw as it pulled its head back to take a huge bite. Robin yelled for his comrade, aiming another arrow, at the bear's only eye.

An arrow was shot, but not from Robin's crossbow. The arrow hit the bear square in the ear. The beast threw its head back, just as another arrow hit its paw. Another hit the bear's chest, the next was in its side, and the next was on its back. The bear roared, looking this way and that for its attacker, but the arrows didn't stop.

Robin covered his nose as an acrid scent filled the air. The Bear rolled on the floor, snarling at the smell, a few arrows breaking off its body. Then it rolled back on its hind legs and fled back into the forest. Robin breathed a sigh of relief before running to his fallen comrade. As he and his men helped the man up to a sitting position, he felt something round under his hand. It was the arrow that had snapped off the bear. Robin frowned as he inspected it. It did not look like an arrow that he and his men carried. In fact, it resembled some of the arrows he had back at the enchanted forest, and it smelled foul. The arrow looked as though it were hand carved, with actual feathers at its end, not the synthetic ones that his arrows had. Robin wrapped the arrow in a handkerchief and pocketed it, deciding it was best to help his men relocate their camp before questioning where it came from.

* * *

><p>Emma sipped her coffee without actually tasting it. She sat at the Sheriff's office, looking through random paperwork. ''Careful love,'' came Hook's smooth voice as he walked into the office. He pointed at her coffee mug. ''That's your second swig. Don't want to get full on that this early in the morning.''<p>

Emma shook her head, half smiling. ''Unlike you, not all of us drink rum morning, noon and night. I highly doubt I'll get drunk on coffee.'' She looked back at her paperwork, trying to fill her mind with the monotony of helping Storybrook citizens with complaints of noise, parking tickets, and the occasional evil witch or dark, magical curse. ''Alright.'' Hook's huffy tone made Emma glance up from her coffee, just in time to see him twirl a chair around so that he could sit in it. ''Wait ails you love?''

''Excuse me?''

''You've been looking at those papers like they're the most interesting thing in the world. And I know you, Swan. You prefer action, not reading. What's wrong?''

Emma rolled her eyes. ''What? I have a lot of paperwork that's pilling up, that's all.''

Hook leaned forward on her desk, taking a piece of paper. ''So I suppose Marco's complaint about noisy neighbors must really be important to you then?''

Emma snatched the paper out of his hand. ''All right pirate, you win. I'm trying to distract myself.''

She would have felt annoyed at his smug yet charming smile if her cell phone didn't begin ringing at that moment. ''Hello?''

David's answered. ''Emma, sorry to bother you so early.''

''Don't worry about it. Did you need something?''

''Well, I got a complaint from a shopkeeper about a robbery this morning. I'd go there myself but-'' He was interrupted by the sound of a screaming baby. Quickly after came the muffled sounds of Mary Margret trying to calm the child down. ''I have a bit of a crisis here, and I'm going to be late to the office. Would you please go for me?''

''Sure.'' Emma grabbed a notepad from her desk, ahd hastily wrote down the address her father relayed to her over the phone. She wished him luck with soothing her little brother and quickly stood, leaving her half empty coffee mug on the table. Hook quickly ran after her as she grabbed her red jacket and left the building.

''Hold on a moment Swan.''

''I've got a robbery to investigate,'' Emma said without turning, ''so talk on the way there.''

Hook caught up to her, walking at her side. ''Changing the subject eh?''

''What subject?''

Hook had no problem keeping up with her brisk pace as he walked backwards in front of her to keep her attention on him. ''I bet you were wishing for a call like that, to get your mind off your guilt.''

Emma stopped walking. ''Guilt?''

''For reuniting Robin Hood with his long lost wife.''

''Why would I feel guilty for that? Isn't that a good thing?''

''Well, normally it would be if a certain someone wasn't hurt because of it.''

''What do you expect me to say, Hook? I didn't want to leave Marian in the past to die.'' Emma signed. ''It's not like I deliberately brought her back to break Robin and Regina up.''

Hook put his hand on her shoulder. ''But it doesn't change the fact that it happened. What's done is done Swan.''

''Yeah, well, tell that to Regina.'' She bumped his shoulder as she moved past him.

Hook fell into step next to her again, shrugging. ''Can't say I didn't warn you love.''

Emma tried ignoring him as they walked to the address on her notepad. Still the nagging feeling he inspired didn't go away. It was the strangest instance of cognitive dissonance she had ever felt. If she had left Marian in the past, then the future might have changed drastically because Marian was supposed to have died. Yet Emma couldn't bring herself to justify leaving Marian in the dungeon to be executed the next day. Never had Emma thought that saving a life could come with such an unsolvable problem. Regina had locked herself up in her large house that night, and refused anyone who came, even her son. Henry was really sad that Regina and Robin weren't together anymore, but even he couldn't think of a single thing to lift his mother's spirits. It didn't help that Emma was the cause of her son's new worry either. Emma rubbed her forehead, wishing that just once, things could be normal. Hopefully investigating a robbery would erase the thoughts in her mind.

As she turned the corner and found the shop, ''Malcolm's Hardware,'' she noticed the first telltale sighs of a robbery. The display window of the shop was broken. Perhaps someone had thrown a brick through it. ''Well, it seems as though our thief was quit desperate to get in.'' Hook said.

''You think?'' Emma pushed the door open, hearing the jingle of a bell as she made her way inside. ''Mr. Malcolm?''

An old, balding man moved from behind a shelf, holding a broom. ''Ah, Sheriff. Glad you made it.''

''What happened here?'' Emma made her way into the store. Her boots crunched on shards of class. ''Sorry,'' Malcolm said, ''I hadn't finished cleaning yet.''

''Was anything stolen?'' Emma moved out of the way so that Malcolm could sweep.

''Well,'' the old man began. ''At first I thought that there was nothing stolen, until I smelled it.''

''Smelled what?''

Hook answered Emma's question. ''Bloody hell.'' He was holding his nose. He had moved through the store and stood at the far corner of the square room. ''That's foul.'' He said.

Emma moved toward him and found herself covering her own nose. ''Dear god.'' She whined.

''I'm sorry, Sheriff. I figured glass was more harmful then ammonia.'' Malcolm said as he came to stand by them. On the floor there were several towels, which were soaking up the ammonia solution that was spilled onto the floor. The vinegar like scent was so strong, it made Emma's eyes water.

''That's what they stole? Ammonia?'' Emma said as she covered her nose with her jacket.

''I'm afraid so. A few bottles of it in fact. That's all that was taken. The cash register was completely untouched.''

''Who on earth would want so much of that?'' Hook said as he moved away from the smell.

''Well maybe someone's just a really big clean freak.'' Emma said. ''Are you sure that there was nothing else missing, Mr. Malcolm?''

Before Malcolm could answer, they were interrupted by the crunching sound of an apple being bitten into. Emma turned to Hook, raising her eyebrows as he chewed. ''Ah!'' Malcolm pointed at Hook.

''Sorry, Mr. Malcolm, he's new the whole detective thing.''

''No, no that's fine.'' Malcolm waved a hand. ''It's just, I just realized that something else was amiss when I came to the shop.'' He pointed to the apple in Hook's hand. ''I keep those apples in front of my store window, and I offer them to customers.''

Emma caught on. ''If the window was broken why aren't the apples on the floor?'' She turned to walk back to the window, only to realize that there was a basket full of apples placed on the register's table. ''Did you move them Mr. Malcolm?''

''No.'' The storeowner replied. ''I barely noticed it. I was too busy cleaning up the mess.''

Emma picked up a few apples and then paused. She turned a red delicious over so that the side of apple was visible to Malcolm and Hook. ''Looks like someone took a bite out of it and put it back in the basket.''

''So our thief likes apples and that smelly stuff? Quite an odd combination, wouldn't you say lass?''

Emma nodded, turning over the facts in her mind. Who would break into a store simply to steal ammonia, ignore the cash register, make a mess, take a bit out of an apple in the display window and leave? After she combed the store for more clues and found nothing, she set up yellow tape around the broken window, advised Mr. Malcolm to lock his items and register up in the back room, and promised to send over someone to fix his broken window. Once she was back on the streets of Storybrook, trying to come up with reasons as to why someone would want to break into a hardware store, and coming up with nothing other then the idea that it was a very strange prank, someone called her name.

''Sheriff Swan!''

Emma had made it to the library by that time. The clock tower above revealed that barely an hour had passed before another problem made itself known. ''What's going on now?''

''Why not ask the band of thieves coming toward us, love?'' Hook gestured with his metal hand at the men running toward them from across the street. Emma bit her lip as she spotted Robin rushing toward her. Yet, when she noticed his disheveled appearance, she pushed the sudden twinge of guilt aside and walked to meet him in the middle of the street.

''What's going on?''

''We were attacked.'' Robin said.

Emma wanted to make a comment about they were almost always attacked, but instead she sucked in her breathe and said calmly, ''Who attacked you?''

''It wasn't a who, Sheriff.'' Little John answered. ''But a what.''

''A bear.'' Robin said.

Emma raised her eyebrows. ''With all due respect Robin, you live in the forest and this is Maine. It's only natural to run into wild animals. I think it's about time you find places to stay in town.''

''This was no ordinary beast.'' Robin said.

''Well, first a robbery, and now a bear attack. This is turning out to be quite the lively morning.'' Hook said.

Robin was momentary distracted. ''A robbery?''

''Someone broke into a shop and stole nothing but smelly potion.''

''You don't say. Was the smell extremely fowl?''

''You could say that.''

''Well, then.'' Robin turned to Emma, ''Seems as though my incident may have something in common with yours.'' He pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and opened it. ''Take a sniff of that.''

Emma looked into his hand. ''A broken arrow? Seriously?''

''Humor me, Sheriff.''

Emma took a whiff, and sure enough, the faint smell of ammonia came from the arrow. ''So, did one of your men break into the shop, Robin?'' She crossed her arms.

''I only steal from the rich. Besides, we were all the forest this morning. And, this arrow did not come from any of my men.''

Emma put her hands in the pockets of her leather jacket. Something was amiss; she could sense it. She turned to Robin, asking him to explain his bear attack in detail, and, as he relayed his story, Emma began to suspect that the robbery that morning was far from a normal crime, if the connections that Robin's story implied were true. ''So much for a day as a regular sheriff.'' Emma sighed.

* * *

><p>Henry had to question why he had to go to school shortly after the wicked witch was defeated, but managed to console himself as he walked into Granny's diner, intent on ordering himself a nice cup of hot chocolate before he rushed to class. At least, that was his intent, until he saw that Regina was sitting at the counter. She was leaning forward on the table, with her forehead in her palm and her other hand wrapped around a glass of golden liquid, which, Henry guessed, was alcohol. Thinking this was his best chance to speak with her, he walked up behind his mother, and, without tapping her on the shoulder to get her attention, said, ''It's a bit early for that isn't is?''<p>

Regina sat up straight and turned around. She smiled at him and motioned to the seat next to her. ''And a good morning to you too. Shouldn't you be on your way to school?''

''I'm a little early.'' Henry said as he sat in the diner and motioned to Ruby, the waitress. Ruby put a mug of steaming hot chocolate, with cinnamon, in front of Henry. She winked before she turned away to refill another customer's coffee. Henry wrapped his cold hands around the mug and turned to Regina. ''What's wrong?''

Regina took a sip from her glass. ''Nothing sweetheart, I just have a lot on my mind.''

''Like Robin?'' Henry said as he too took a sip of his hot coco. Regina softly slapped him in his upper arm. ''You're getting a little too smart these days.'' She said, and, while she was smiling, Henry could see the lines of sadness around her eyes. He turned on his stool so that his body faced her. ''Hey Mom, why don't I come stay with you for a while? We could bake those apple pies you love so much. Together, like we used to.''

Regina's smile for his sake only became wider. ''Oh, Henry, any other time I would have loved that, but,'' She faced the counter, ''I think I want to be alone for a little while.''

''But Mom-''

''Oh my goodness, look at the time! You're going to be late for school.''

Henry wanted to slap a palm against his forehead. ''Oh come on, it's not going anywhere.''

''Hey, school is school, no matter what happens in Storybrooke.'' Regina picked up his backpack and handed it to him. ''Now, get going.''

Henry reluctantly took the bag, ordered that his coco be put in a ''to-go'' cup and moved toward the dinner's exit. Before he left however, he turned back around to Regina. Digging into his backpack, he pulled out the storybook that had helped him through so many trying times. He slammed it down on the counter next to Regina. ''Hold onto this for me?''

''Oh Henry.''

''Maybe it can give you answers like it did for me once.''

* * *

><p>Regina watched her son leave the dinner. He took the brightness in her heart with him. She turned back around, glared at her whiskey and ran her finger over the rim of the cup. When no answers came to her, she pushed the cup away, paid her tab, reluctantly picked up Henry's book, and left the diner. She walked without purpose, trying to empty her mind of the thoughts that plagued her. No sooner had she gone a few blocks, when the very object of her unhappiness appeared. Marian was walking down the street, holding Roland's hand. Regina noticed that Marian looked grim, but the void she felt within her kept her from wondering or caring why.<p>

All she could do was question her circumstances. Why was she denied happiness at every turn? Was there really no happy ending for someone like her, even after all she had done to change herself? After what she had said to Zelena, all her words of redemption, was she just giving herself empty promises? Why struggle so hard to be good, when nothing but emptiness awaited her? Before she knew it, Regina found herself at the door of her own home. Not wanting to be in town, and see other people's disgustingly happy faces while she was suffering, she thought she could at least get some solace in her lonely home. Just as she closed a door behind her, and placed the storybook on the floor, there was a knock. ''Go away Ms. Swan.''

There was the unmistakable click of the door opening. ''Unbelievable.'' Regina said as she turned around to come face to face with, not Emma Swan, but with Robin Hood. Immediately her heart swelled with fury, love, and despair, all at the same time, as he gave her his charming half smile. Regina backed away from him, making room for him to enter the foyer. He came in, with his hands in his pockets, and his eyes on the floor, and the first thing Regina noticed was how filthy his coat was. There were traces of dirt in between the wrinkles of his leather jacket. ''What happened to you?''

''Hmm? Oh. I had bit of a rough run in with a bear this morning.''

''A bear?'' She said incredulously and dusted off some dirt from his shoulder before she caught herself. Quickly withdrawing her hand, and turning away from him, she said, ''Well you should get back to your wife before she notices you're gone.''

''Regina.'' He said softly. ''I need to speak with you.''

She didn't say anything, but she didn't move away or dismiss him either. He must have believed that she was giving him permission to talk, because he continued. ''It's not an easy thing to say. Ever since I met you, the hole in my heart began to heal. You brought light into my life, light that I believed was long since lost, since Marian was taken from me.''

Regina turned around, looking into his handsome face. Robin held her hands. ''What I feel for you, everything we did together, it wasn't a lie. I truly, and deeply do care for you.''

Robin dropped his hands from hers. ''But, I have also always sworn to be a man of honor.''

Regina's smile faded as quickly as the warmth inside her heart did. ''Marian?''

''I made an oath to be with her always when we married. You must understand. I never could have dreamed she was alive, and if she weren't here I would be with you in a heartbeat. But since she is, I must stand by my vows.''

''I see.''

Robin turned awkwardly toward the door. ''Please know that I will always treasure the time we had together.''

Regina watched the door close behind him. Why did it always feel like all of her loved ones closed doors in front of her face? The sound of it slamming closed was so loud, it almost drowned out the sound of her heart breaking all over again. Regina held her head, closing her eyes tight. It didn't hurt, she told herself, even as she felt her chest tightening with icy coldness. She wanted to throw something; she wanted to smash something. As if summoned by her thoughts, the mirror next to the door exploded, shards of glass falling to the floor. Regina turned to stare at the pieces, wondering if her heart looked the same. As she bent to pick up a piece, she saw her lonely expression. She had looked into mirrors for comfort before. Suddenly, Regina was struck with a curious idea, and, as the thought morphed into a plan in her mind, her sad expression morphed into a wicked grin. She left her home without even cleaning up the broken glass and made her way across town in record time.

No one in the hospital gave her any attention as she made her way down to the psychiatric ward. Her heals clicked as she walked down the empty hallway, making her way toward a special cell. She pressed the security buttons on the wall, and heard the click of the metal door as it unlocked. As the door open, the man inside the cell lifted his head. He let out a surprised breath as he saw Regina. ''Why are you here?''

''There's someone in the way of my happiness.'' She said.

The man smiled, understanding her dark insinuation. ''Oh?''

''I need my mirror back. Can I count on your help?''

Sidney Glass smiled. ''Yes, your Majesty.''

* * *

><p>Mary Margret sat at the bus stop, shaking a rattle in front of Neal's stroller. The baby's wide eyes moved back and forth at the sound of the toy, and Mary Margret grinned. She heard the sound of the bus rounding the corner, and stood to move the stroller out of the way as the bus stopped in front of her. Children jumped down from the bus, talking excitedly amongst themselves. Some of them waved to her, saying they missed their favorite teacher. Then, Henry finally jumped down. He spotted his grandmother and uncle and waved. Mary Margret smiled as Henry bent forward so that he could look into the stroller and say hello to Neal in a very high-pitched voice. The baby cooed at him.<p>

''I take it school went well.'' Mary Margret said. She pushed the stroller down the street. Henry walked next her, blowing his bangs up and away from his forehead. ''Yeah.''

''Doesn't sound like you had a good day.''

''Well, I'm worried about mom.''

''Regina?'' Mary Margret asked.

''She didn't look to happy this morning.''

''I'm sure she just has a lot of think about, Henry.''

Henry looked across the street with an empty look in his eyes. ''She said she wanted to be alone. She doesn't want to see me.''

Mary Margret put a hand on his shoulder. ''That's not true. She probably doesn't want you to see her when she's sad. Just give her some time. She'll come around.''

Henry shrugged her off. ''I just don't want to see her change back to who she was. She's come too far.''

Before Mary Margret could come up with more reassuring words, Henry looked up ahead. ''Mom!''

Mary Margret followed his line of sight, expecting to see Emma, but frowned as she noticed Regina walk briskly into an alley. Henry ran after her. ''I'll see you at home Grandma!'' He yelled.

Mary Margret watched Henry round the corner and disappear from her line of sight. The same time she was walking back home, hoping Henry would be all right, and intending on telling Emma where he went, Henry was panting as he ran after Regina. He followed her through the town, swallowing as he realized that Regina was heading toward the graveyard. She was going to her crypt. He ran rough the grass, weaved through the gravestones toward the crypt, but he skid to a stop before he reached it. Regina was there, just as he had predicted, but she was not alone. Henry ground his teeth together.

Regina must have heard him, because she whirled around, scanning the area with the stern, scheming expression Henry had seen her wear when she was up to something. As soon as she saw Henry, her expression softened. ''Henry! What are you doing here?''

He stomped his way toward her, pointing at the man standing beside her. ''Why are you with him?''

Sidney Glass looked uncomfortable at Henry's appearance. He looked to Regina to explain his presence. Regina spoke softly to Henry. ''He's just here to help me with a little errand that's all. It's nothing to worry about Henry.''

Henry knew that her sweet tone was covering up whatever she was scheming. He had been exposed to her tricks long enough to know when she was lying. Only terrible things happened when Regina was working with Sidney Glass. ''I don't believe you! What are you up to? If this is about Marian-''

''Henry!'' Regina said. ''I would never-''

''You're lying! And I'm not going to stick around while you do this.'' He ignored her cries for him, focusing the movement of his feet as he ran into the forest. Henry weaved through the trees and bushes before he finally stopped in a small clearing next to a fallen log. Catching his breathe, Henry picked up the first object he could wrap his fingers around, which happened to be a large rock. With all his strength, he threw the rock against a tree, watching it bounce off.

Growling, Henry kicked the tree next to him. How could she? He kept repeating in his mind as he kicked the old fallen log over and over. After all they had been through together, hadn't she changed? Henry let out a frustrated yell. No wonder she didn't want to see him. He should have known she would resort to her old tricks instead of listen to him.

He picked up a stick and was about to throw it when something blue caught his eye. Henry turned around, holding the stick over his head. A blue ball of light floated next to the tree he had been attacking. Henry blinked, and the light was gone. Then he heard the soft sound of footsteps nearby. Thinking it was Regina, he yelled. ''Leave me alone!''

Suddenly the floor shook. Birds flew up from the trees. Henry's tirade was interrupted by sudden fearfulness. ''M-mom?'' he called out.

There was no answer. Instead, the thumping grew louder. Henry looked into the forest ahead of him, too frightened to move. The area around him grew darker as the clouds covered the sky. Henry held still, slowly raising his head to look above him. There were no clouds, but there was the sound of heavy breathing. He looked over his shoulder, following the sound. Behind him, a bear with one large, dead looking, red eye puffed out its massive chest as it inhaled. Henry backed away with his hands up.

The beast roared. Henry screamed. He turned to run, but instead crashed into the log he had been kicking just minutes before. He tasted dirt as he fell onto his stomach. The ground shook as the bear moved toward him. Henry turned on his back, scrambling to get to his feet. The beast put a huge paw on the tree trunk, looking down at him with its teeth bared. Then it lunged and Henry closed his eyes, crying out. There was a whizzing sound and ground next to his ear shook.

Henry could feel his heart beating in his neck. The bear roared again. He waited for pain, but nothing came instead. Henry opened his eyes to see the bear shake its head violently above him. It arched backward, covering its nose with its gigantic paws. Then the creature fell over the log, turned, and ran into the forest, out of sight.

Henry lay there, gasping, shaking, and completely confused. When he was sure the bear wouldn't reappear, he stood and looked around him. An arrow stuck out in the dirt next to his leg. The snapping of twigs made Henry jump. ''Och!''

Something landed down in front of him. Henry fell back onto his behind, scampering backward on his hands and heels as he looked at…a girl? She turned around and it wasn't the old, green dress that caught Henry's attention first. The bow in her hand, the sword at her belt, and the quiver on her back were all strange, but it was the brightness of her crazy, curly, puffy, long red hair that made Henry stare.

''Are ya dumb lad?'' Henry squinted as she spoke with accent he never heard before. He stood and opened his mouth but was interrupted when she walked over so that she was standing in front of him. Henry noted that she had to be close to his own age as she was his height. She poked him in the chest ''Coming into the forest with nary a weapon! Yer lucky I came when I did.''

Henry couldn't even get a word in. He jumped back as the girl unsheathed her sword and swung it around angrily. ''Och! I almost had him! If ya hadn't made all the noise!'' She stopped swinging looked straight into Henry's eye and growled. ''Ya better leave, else ya want Mor'du to come back to gobble ya up!'' Then she turned and disappeared into the forest.

* * *

><p>David put his hands on his hips, surveying the town as he walked down the street, listening to his daughter tell him their new troubles. Emma sighed, pressing her fingers against her forehead. ''I still have no idea where the ammonia thief is.''<p>

''So what do you plan to do? Do we go into the forest to hunt that bear?''

''From the way Robin described the thing, we'd need more then a few tranquilizers to kill it.'' Emma fingered the gun at her belt. ''For now, I think I'll talk to Ruby. If she can track it down, maybe we'll get an idea of what we're dealing with.''

David nodded, looking across the street at the town. Across the block, someone carrying a bunch of grocery bags tripped, the contents of the paper bags falling all over the floor. Before Emma could blink, David had made his way across the street. She followed him just in time to see him help an old woman up to her feet.

''Aye, lad, thank ye so much.'' The woman said. ''Yer a real prince charming.'' She dusted herself off. As David bent to pick up her groceries and place them back in the bags, he laughed. ''I've been called that.''

''You all right miss?'' Emma said. The old woman looked up at her with large eyes. ''My! It's not every day someone gets attention from the savior herself. Aye, lass I'm fit as a fiddle.''

Her accent reminded Emma of Graham. She felt a tiny sting in her heart at the memory of him. ''I haven't seen you around before. Did you come with the new curse?''

The old woman shook her head. ''Oh, I've been around dear. I've just been, bottled up, so to speak.''

''Well, Mrs-''

''Ina.'' The woman answered for her.

''Welcome to Storybrooke, Ina.''

END OF CHAPTER 1.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon a Time, all rights belong to ABC, Katsis and Horowitz**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 2: Merida<strong>

* * *

><p>Long, long ago, in an ancient kingdom, in a far away land with magic, on top of a green hill, stood the castle of Clan Dunbroch. Within its great stone walls all was quiet, except for the screaming that could be heard coming from the queen's chambers. Outside the Queen's room paced King Fergus. With his tall, broad, muscular stature, nicknamed the "Bear King" for his ferocity in battle, one would think that King Fergus was nothing more then a brute. Normally, however, the king was easygoing and loved to tell stories. At the moment, he was scared out of his wits as he heard his wife wailing in the next room.<p>

There were murmurs from the midwife and the nursemaids passing through the heavyset wooden door, but they were drowned out by the cries of the queen. Each scream made Fergus bite his nails in fright. Then, suddenly, a quiet vibrated all through the hall. Fergus froze, unsure whether he should shake or let out a breathe of relief. Just as he was about to enter the queen's room, the door was opened for him. There stood Maudie, one of the nursemaids, with one hand fanning her face, while the other pointed inward. She began to stutter, ''I-it's a g-g-gi-''

Fergus was aware that Maudie was prone to hysterics, and he would usually laugh good-naturedly at her frantic gestures, but found that his patience had disappeared. ''Oh pull yourself together Maudie.'' He pushed his way past her. Maudie collapsed into the floor behind him, but Fergus paid her no attention, his eyes firmly on the bed in the center of the room.

Queen Elinor was on her back, as pale as the white nightdress she wore, breathing heavily, but, to Fergus' great relief, she was smiling weakly. And then he heard it. The shrill sound of a babe's cry flooded the room like a light being lit. Fergus turned to the midwife to see her smile as she lifted a bundle up. She placed the bundle in Fergus' large hands and stepped away so that the father could look down at his puffy, red-cheeked child for the first time. The babe cried loud and strong and Fergus couldn't help but laugh nervously even as tears streamed down his face.

Her turned to Elinor, wishing to say something to his wife, but every time he opened his mouth, he found that he could only half laugh and half cry. So Elinor spoke for him as he knelt next to the bed, holding the babe out so that she could look into the girl's face. ''Welcome to the world Merida.''

* * *

><p>Regina was snapped back into the present when Sidney spoke. ''Something wrong your majesty?''<p>

''No.'' She said dismissively, looking at her palms. She yearned to touch Henry, to make him understand. He would, in time, come to agree with her that seeking her best chance at happiness was the right course of action. Regina nodded as she thought about how happy Henry was when he learned that she and Robin were together. Her hands shook with the idea.

''So, how do we get rid of this Marian?'' Sidney said. He walked around her crypt, passing his finger over the dusty stone shelf. ''We could always send her a nasty curse.''

''Normally, I would.'' Regina replied. She crossed her arms, hoping that it would lessen the shivering in her hands. ''But that's an old trick. How long would it take for the townspeople to figure out that I had something to do with Marian's demise? No, this has to be handled with delicacy. She needs to be removed without anyone noticing she was gone.''

''I like the way you think. How shall we do that?'' Sidney picked up a skull from one her shelves, moving it around in his hands.

''There is a spell that can send someone back to the past. I need your help gathering the materials. I need to go back in time, and kill Marian before Emma comes across her.''

Sidney stopped fiddling with the skull. ''Time travel? With all due respect, your majesty, it's never been do-''

''Yes, I know. But someone cracked that code, and that's how this whole mess started. If Miss Swan had left well enough alone, I wouldn't be facing this problem.''

''So where do I come in?'' Sidney moved away from the far side of the small room so that he was standing in front of her again.

''I've killed so many people in the past." Regina said. "I can't remember when I came across Marian. I need to go back to that exact moment, and I need you to show it to me.''

Sidney smiled nervously. ''There is little I wouldn't do for you my queen, but without my mirror powers, I'm afraid I can't-''

Before he could finish his sentence, Regina twirled her fingers in the air and Sidney turned into a purple puff of smoke. A circular mirror, which was hung on the wall, glowed, and Sidney appeared inside of it, banging desperately on the glass of his shiny prison. His screams were interrupted by Regina as she calmly told him to relax. ''It's not permanent. I just need your power of sight. Once I have what I need, I'll let you go.''

Sidney stopped struggling, but he did not stop glowering at her. ''Very well. I shall show you what you wished to see.'' His face disappeared, and, in its place, within the mirror, a scene unfolded. Images of the past undulated until a forest appeared. Peasants were lined up, shoulder to shoulder, between a wooden house and a black carriage. In front of the peasants, pacing back and forth, wearing a furious expression, was the Queen Regina of the past. She glared at each person with a look of contempt and said, ''I could give you everything you desire, if you just hand over Snow White.''

Regina felt her hands shake even harder as she watched herself from the past. Had she always looked that bitter, that angry? Was that how she had looked to Henry when he saw her earlier? Regina couldn't even hear what her past self was saying. She watched as the Evil Queen from the past yanked Marian out of the crowd. When Marian refused to give away Snow White's location, the Evil Queen decided to make an example of her by throwing her violently at her guards. ''She shall die tomorrow at dawn.'' She turned to address the peasants again. ''Tell me where Snow White is hiding, or else the next person at the gallows may be you.''

''You're a monster!'' Marian yelled.

Regina stumbled backward, away from the mirror. She looked, watching her evil past self half smile and scowl with twisted joy as Marian was hauled away by guards, screaming for mercy and receiving none. The scene in the mirror changed, depicting another scene between Marian and Emma in prison, but the Regina of the present wasn't looking.

She was looking down at her hands, which were shaking still, almost painfully. Then she realized she couldn't feel her fingertips. These were hands that ripped out countless hearts, hands that sent so many people to their deaths, hands that caused so much misery, and these were the very same hands that wanted to touch Henry, the one true joy in her miserable life.

She never finished watching the scene in the mirror. She left her crypt with her hands in her gloves. But even as she put her hands into her pockets, they wouldn't get warm.

* * *

><p>Mr. Gold looked out the window of his car into the graveyard. No matter how long he stared, the scene didn't change. Yet he found himself transfixed on the simplicity of it. The green blades of grass, shining from the light drizzle that had come that morning, the shade of the trees that surrounded them on all sides, and the grey headstones, standing motionless in the still air; the serenity of it annoyed him. Something warm brought him out of his sad thoughts. His hand was squeezed tightly.<p>

Mr. Gold turned his head to look at of his new wife. Belle looked back at him from the passenger seat with warmth shining in her eyes. ''Come on Rumple. You've stalled enough.'' She said softly.

He didn't reply. He just looked at her blankly. Did he have the strength to do what she felt needed to be done? As if sensing his thoughts, Belle put his hand between both of hers and lifted their joined hands up between them. ''I know it's hard.'' She said. ''But you need to do this. No one deserves this more then you do. And I'll be right here if you need me.''

''You're right Belle.'' He kissed her softly on the forehead before he finally opened the door and got out of the car. Before she could move to follow he stopped her with a hand. ''I'll be all right.'' He said.

She nodded and waited, like she always did for him. Even as he walked away from the car he could feel her silent support. The walk toward the grave was both long and short, as he wished he could take longer in getting there, but, alas, he wanted to finish his goodbyes as soon as possible. So he knelt by the grave and looked into the gray engraved letters that said, ''Beloved Son. Neal Cassidy.''

''Bae.'' Mr. Gold said. It hurt to say his name. It hurt to remember his face. So many years he had spent looking for Baelfire, agonizing over his mistake and regretting how his son grew without him. He would do it all over again if it meant his son would be there, standing next to him, instead of buried under the ground. ''You gave me life Bae, even before I became the dark one. I regretted leaving you everyday since I had lost you.'' He pulled out a dagger from under his coat, the dagger that gave him his darkness. ''I only wanted to avenge you, my son. Now that Zelena is gone, I swear I will let Belle watch over it. She will make the right decisions.''

He felt he should say more, promise more. But what else could he do for a stoic headstone that would never talk back, never smile at him, and never call him papa. His lip trembling, Mr. Gold did make one more promise. ''You gave your life for all of us. I swear, I will protect your family as you would have.''

He stood and turned away from the grave, tucking the dagger into his coat. In front of him, he saw Belle waiting by the car. She eased the hollow feeling in his black heart, as images of Bae's infancy and childhood swam in his mind, threatening to choke him. After this, he needed to take Belle someplace nice, just the two of them, as they were still in the middle of their honeymoon, to thank her for pushing him. Belle moved to meet him and Gold extended his arms to welcome her, but someone burst through the forest on the far side of the graveyard, stopping them.

''Henry?'' Belle reacted first, reaching the boy and helping him stand. ''Are you all right?''

''Yeah, I'm fine.'' Henry panted. He thanked Belle, and then noticed Mr. Gold. ''Did I interrupt something?''

Belle looked nervously at Mr. Gold before she spoke. ''We came to see Baelfire. I mean, Neal.''

''Oh.'' Henry looked from Belle to Mr. Gold. ''Mr. Gold, Dad was-''

''I know, my boy. Please, let's not focus on that for now.'' He took a deep breath, hoping his voice would be steady when he spoke again. ''Why were you in the forest?''

Henry's face reddened. He grimaced, looking both frightened and enraged at the same time. Mr. Gold looked suspiciously into the trees. ''I,'' Henry grit his teeth, ''went exploring.''

''By yourself? In the middle of the forest.'' Mr. Gold said. Henry nodded. ''You don't look well Henry. Does your mother know where you are?''

''I don't think she cares.''

''We both know that's not true Henry.'' Belle said. Mr. Gold agreed. A love for a son was one of the few things he and Regina agreed upon. As such, he found himself looking at his grandson intently, long enough to notice that it looked as though he had fallen somewhere. His coat was covered in dirt and pieces of leaves. Again, he looked into the forest. There were no bird chirps, no rustling of leaves, nor was there any movement of squirrels. Quiet of that kind usually meant that something big was lurking nearby. ''Did something happen in the forest Henry?'' Mr. Gold asked.

Henry looked nervously at him before he turned to stare back into the trees. ''I ran into a bear.''

''Oh my goodness.'' Belle said. ''You aren't hurt are you?''

''N-no.'' Henry moved away from her before she could inspect him for injuries. ''I got away.''

''Belle,'' Mr. Gold interjected, ''go ready the car. We'll take Henry home.''

''Of course.'' She hurried back to the car, giving Mr. Gold enough time to walk up to Henry and put his hand on his shoulder. ''What really happened lad?''

Henry looked up into his face. There was so much of Baelfire in Henry. They had the same righteous outlook and the same need to do what was right. Mr. Gold remembered the last time Bae had looked at him with a mixture of anger and fear, just as Henry was doing now. Yet, as the silence stretched on between then, Mr. Gold realized Henry wasn't afraid of him. Something in the forest, something terrifying was upon them. Mr. Gold could tell.

* * *

><p>Many years ago, in the forests of the Kingdom of Dunbroch, Queen Elinor was chasing after her tiny daughter. Merida, her wild, red hair bouncing like dancing fire, ran from her mother, squealing in delight. ''I'm going to catch ya and gobble ya up!'' Elinor called. Merida giggled, running around their little campsite and dodging her mother's hands by running under the tables, behind tent walls, and around the legs of the guards that were standing nearby. Elinor stopped chasing. By then, Merida had made it behind a tree and was peeking at her mother from the behind the trunk.<p>

''Where oh where did my little girl go?'' Elinor said, her hand over her forehead, as though she were looking across a vast distance. Merida covered her mouth and sat down at the base of the tree, trying to silence her laughter. Suddenly someone grabbed her around her waist, and lifted her up and out from behind the tree. Merida squeaked in surprise; kisses rained down on her face. ''Mum!'' She laughed at the ticklish sensation of soft kisses as she tried to push her mother's face away.

Elinor stopped smothering her with smooches, preferring to squeeze Merida in a soft hug instead. ''Found ya.'' She said.

Merida looked up at her mother and smiled for a second before she quickly turned her face away, pointing at something over Elinor's shoulder. ''Mum, look.''

Elinor turned. Behind her, floating above the grass, was a blue ball of smoke. ''Oh my.'' The ball flickered, whispers echoing from it. ''It's a willow the wisp.'' She whispered.

Merida gasped. ''They are real! Mum, catch it!''

The wisp disappeared. Merida groaned. ''They say, Merida, that a willow the wisp leads ya to yer fate.''

''Really? I'll catch it next time.''

''Now, little lady.'' Elinor gently lowered Merida back down onto the ground. ''Is it my imagination, or is someone turning six today?''

Before Elinor could even say another word, Merida smiled brightly and ran back into the camp. She came back a second later, holding onto a small bow made of beige wood. ''Look what Dad gave me for my birthday!''

Elinor blinked. ''My, what a, um, unique present.''

''Aye, and it suits her too.''

Merida turned as Fergus walked up behind her, carrying a basket full of apples. He bent down so that he was eye level with his daughter. ''Look at yer hair.'' He said, ruffling the wild mop on Merida's head. ''There's no taming this beast, that's for sure.''

''Dad, can I shoot an arrow? Can I?'' Merida bounced up and down. ''Please?''

Fergus tapped his chin dramatically. ''I was going to wait until after we had lunch.'' He pulled out a small arrow out from under his fur cape. ''But one wouldn't hurt.''

Merida practically snatched the arrow from between his fingers. She ran toward the nearest target, aimed, shot her arrow, and missed. ''Aww.'' The arrow flew over the target, landing in a clearing right in front of a dense pack of trees.

''No worries lass; go fetch it then.''

As Merida ran to retrieve the arrow, she heard Elinor say something to Fergus. She was saying something about how ladies didn't use weapons and Fergus was saying that one arrow wouldn't hurt, but Merida stopped paying attention as she got closer and closer to her arrow, which was sticking out in an angle, with the head firmly planted in the dirt. Merida yanked on it with all her strength and the arrow suddenly pulled free, making her fall back on her behind just as the clouds covered the sun, shading her. Merida looked up at the sky, but it wasn't clouds she saw.

Elinor screamed, and Fergus let out a fierce cry, but Merida didn't hear it. She stared, petrified by the large, black creature leaning over her. ''Mum.'' She whimpered. Suddenly Fergus was there with his sword. He stabbed the animal just as it began to lean forward. Merida was lifted off the ground. She smelled her mother's soothing scent, and heard the sound of hoof beats as she and her mother galloped away from the monster. Yet, as Merida fled, comforted by her mother's warm hand around her back, she couldn't stop staring at the giant, black monster her father and the soldiers were fighting, even as they disappeared from her sight.

* * *

><p>In the forests that surrounded Storybrooke, the bushes shook. Something was running through them, something big, but no one was around to feel the earth shake whenever its paws hit the ground. As the creature ran through a ring of stones, passing through the area without care, someone peaked out from behind the large rocks. The figure was shrouded in a black coat, yet an old hand could be seen from under the folds of the fabric. The figure's shoulders shook, and soon the figure moved out of the forest and back toward the town.<p>

Storybrook had no idea of the dangers yet to come. The townspeople simply carried on with their day to day lives, but Belle and Mr. Gold had uneasy feelings as they led Henry back into his grandmother's apartment without noticing the old lady watching them from across the street.

The moment Mary Margret opened the door, her smile morphed into a tight frown as she took in her grandson's appearance. "Henry? What happened to you?"

Before Henry could answer, as Mary Margret dragged him in and began to inspect his clothes, Mr. Gold spoke for him. "Seems as though our young lad had a nasty run in with a bear in the forest."

"A bear?" Mary Margret almost screamed. She then cast a desperate look at the baby crib in the far end of the room. Relieved to see that the baby was still sleeping, she turned back to Mr. Gold and Henry.

"You're not hurt Henry?"

"No, I'm fine." He answered in an irritated tone. "Really, I am."

As luck would have it for Henry, the door to the apartment was opened, saving him from answering any unwanted questions. Emma walked in, followed by David and Hook. "Oh, am I interrupting something?" Emma said as she noticed Belle and Mr. Gold. "Henry? What happened to you?"

This time, Henry let out a loud, obnoxious groan. He walked toward the stairs that led to the upper rooms and sat down with his chin in his hands, and before Emma could even be confused, Mary Margret spoke. "He got in some trouble in the forest. Mr. Gold brought him home. Thank you, by the way."

Mr. Gold nodded as Mary Margret continued, not noticing how Belle put a loving hand on his shoulder. "Said Henry ran into a bear."

"What?" David and Emma said together. Emma moved toward Henry. "Are you o-"

Mary Margret blocked her. "He's fine." She looked at David, warning him with her stern look, and was rewarded when David stepped back, understanding her hint. "Just give him some space."

Emma looked at her mother with raised eyebrows. "Space?"

Mary Margret leaned forward so that she could whisper between them. "I think all this constant cooing and worrying for his safety might be annoying him. Plus, I saw him run after Regina earlier. I think he might need a moment to relax."

Emma leaned away from her. "Okay, fine."

"Hey, Henry?" David said gently. Mary Margret sent him another look. "I just have one question." He said quickly. His wife crossed her arms, but cocked her head in Henry's direction, allowing him to continue.

"This bear that you ran into, what did it look like?"

Henry shuddered, which caused everyone else in the room to suddenly tense in response. "It was huge, black, with one eye. That's all I remember before-" He breathed in. "Before I ran away."

"Are you sure there was nothing else?" David asked.

Henry looked up for a moment, but then averted his eyes. "Nothing."

"Seems like there's more to the story then you're telling us Lad." Hook said.

"There was nothing else, okay?" Henry snapped at him.

"All right, all right." Hook put his hand up in an effort to calm Henry down. Turning toward Emma he said, "You don't suppose this was the same beast that attacked the merry men?"

"It has to be it; how many other giant, monster bears could there be in the forest?" David said.

"Wait." Belle interjected. "There has been another bear attack?"

"Robin and his men were attacked by a bear this morning." Hook said.

"Strange, there were never any bear attacks until now." Belle said. "Maybe I could do some research on animal behavior to see if something in the area might have caused them to behave strangely."

Someone's cell phone rang. David pulled the phone from his pocket and excused himself, walking out of the room. As he left, Emma added another part to the story. "Putting aside the bear for now, there's also a thief in town that I have to hunt down. Seems as though this thief and the bear might be connected somehow."

Before anyone could question her logic, Emma explained about the ammonia thief, the bear, and the arrows that had attacked it. "A mysterious savior, a thief, and a large bear on the loose." Mr. Gold said. "Well, by all accounts, I'd say I'm intrigued."

David came back in, still holding his phone in his hand. "That was Ruby. She said she's willing to help us track down the bear, or find clues, and she's ready to go whenever we are."

"Well, we're not getting closer to solving the case by staying here." Emma said.

Before she could leave, she turned around to cast Henry a worried look. "Don't worry." Mary Margret said. "I'll look after him."

"Thanks."

"Ms. Swan, before you leave, I'd like to let you know, I'm willing to help you take down this beast."

Emma wasn't the only one to look at Mr. Gold with a bewildered expression, as both David and Hook's faces mirrored her own. "No offense mate, but what's in it for you?"

"Looks like we're on the same page for once." David crossed his arms over his chest. "What is in it for you?"

"Now that's not fair." Belle stepped in front of Mr. Gold.

"Belle, please. It's all right." Mr. Gold put a hand on her shoulder, gently pushing her to the side as he came forward. "Let's just call it, curiosity." He said simply, as though that were enough to placate David and Hook's suspicions. When the two men didn't stop looking at him with distrust that was so obvious that even Emma rolled her eyes, Mr. Gold shook his head. "All right. I can see when I'm not wanted." He walked past David, Hook, and Emma, gesturing for Belle to follow, but paused at the door. ''However, should you see something odd about this beast, don't hesitate to visit the pawn shop and tell me about it."

Emma watched the door close behind Mr. Gold and Belle. "Come on." She said to Hook and David. "We've got a bear to catch."

"Right. Let's go, Lass." Hook said. He walked out of the house after David.

Emma was about to leave when Mary Margret let out a soft giggle. "What?"

"He sure is following you around more then usual. And, strangely, you don't seem too bothered by it."

Emma sputtered. "Well, maybe I just like his company." Mary Margret gave her a knowing smile. "Oh come on, Mom!"

"Hey, I didn't say anything. I just hope you figure out what you're doing for all three of your sakes."

"All three?" Emma repeated. Mary Margret tilted her head toward Henry. Luckily the boy wasn't paying attention, staring off into the distance with his elbows on his bent knees.

"He just lost his father. And with Regina acting strangely, this might require some delicacy."

Emma sighed. "Thanks for the reminder." Then she waved at Henry. "I'll see you kid, okay?"

Henry replied with a quiet, "Yeah." He barely lifted his head as he heard the door slam closed. The only thing that interrupted his quiet was when a steaming mug of hot cocoa appeared under his nose a second later. As he took the mug from Mary Margret with a soft thanks, he looked up into the empty space where his mother was a second ago.

"Did something happen between you and Regina?"

Henry gave his grandmother a pointed glare. She put her hands up in front of herself. "Okay, I won't ask. But can I just say one thing?" Henry nodded. "Don't be afraid to let us help you Henry. We're your family and helping you is never a burden."

Henry squeezed the hot cocoa in his hands. Putting it down on the stairs, he rose. "I'm going outside for a bit."

"Do you need me to come with you?"

"No thanks. I'll be okay." He added hastily, and left the house before he could see Mary Margret's worried expression again.

* * *

><p>Regina opened her eyes and looked around, gasping. The familiar black and white furnishings of her office surrounded her. She took in one more breath, thankful to be in her solemn, lonely, pathetic office, and not in some forest from over twenty-eight years go. A snapping noise brought her out of her sad reverie, and Regina rose to look out her window. Outside, a couple of apples had fallen off her tree; one of the branches was slouching in an awkward angle. "What?"<p>

She made her way outside to touch the trunk of her tree and picked one of her own apples for inspection. Healthy, red perfection glowed in her hands. The people of the town never picked apples from her tree; they knew better. The only reason someone would tamper with something so precious to her, was to get her attention. Just as she had expected, there was a sound of someone clearing her throat behind her. Regina turned, to see Mary Margret standing on the grass.

Noting the stroller in front of Mary Margret, Regina kept her voice calm as she spoke. "Really, is there no better way for you to get my attention other then attacking my tree? I see where your daughter gets it from."

Never one to be intimidated, but still showing that naïve hopefulness, Mary Margret simply shrugged. "Actually Regina, I didn't touch your tree. I found you just as you are."

Mary Margret had many traits, annoying being high on the list, but Regina knew she wasn't the best lair. "So what do you want?" She said, as she began picking up the fallen apples. She was in no mood for dainty Snow White's pep talks, especially pep talks about how to get over a very bad breakup.

"Actually, I was wondering if Henry came by here?"

Regina paused. "Did something happen?"

"Mr. Gold found him in the graveyard. He said that Henry ran into a bear."

Regina was instantly on her feet. Her heels dug harshly into the dirt as she stomped toward Mary Margret. "Where is he?" She said in a shaky breath.

"I don't know. He's fine by the way. He said he was going out for a walk."

Regina looked at the apple in her hand. Could Henry be trying to tell her something? "Regina?"

Her attention snapped back to Mary Margret in time to see her look very uneasy. "Henry was acting strangely. He seemed very irritated at something."

"Are you sure your constant doting isn't beginning to annoy him? Because it's killing me."

"Very funny. No, this was unlike him. Something is bothering him, and, I'm not trying to point fingers here, but did something happen between you two?"

Regina could feel her fingers tightening around the apple, and the juice made her shaking palms quiver more. She tried to keep her face calm, even as she saw Henry running off angrily in her mind, even as the memories she had seen inside the mirror flashed through her thoughts. "No." She told Mary Margret. "Nothing happened."

"Do you have any idea where he might be?"

Regina looked back at her tree. "I think you might have just missed him."

* * *

><p>"The smell is coming from down this way." Dressed in jeans, a red shirt, a black, leather jacket, and tennis shoes, Ruby led the group of hunters through the forest, inhaling and exhaling as she looked through the foliage for their prey. Behind her, Emma checked the barrel of her capture gun for the umpteenth time. "Are you sure these tranquilizer guns will take it down?" She said.<p>

David smiled, inspecting his own gun. "You doubt me? Remember, I worked in an animal shelter for a while. I had to take care of a few stray dogs. Two darts should be more then enough. Then we just shoot it, or stab it." He padded the sword that was hung around his hip.

"With all due respect, you worked in that shelter when you couldn't remember who you were, and I'm pretty sure a giant bear is much harder to take down then a dog."

"Do you have a better idea lass? From the way Robin described the monster, we'll need to slow it down before we can do any real butchering." Hook said as he strode beside Emma.

Behind them, Robin huffed. He was stalking through the forest with his crossbow ready to fire at anything that moved. "I'd say this is one of the few times I am in accord with the pirate. We should shoot the monster, wait until it's down, and then kill it."

Emma shrugged. "Well I took down a dragon before. How bad could a bear be?"

"Shh!" Ruby stopped them all with an open palm. She crouched on all fours. In front of her was a pair of thin tree trunks, making a small "V" just big enough for her to poke her head through. The trees overlooked a valley in the forest. Down in the small ravine was a river, and in front of it, was a black bear. The creature's back was to them as it was drinking from the stream. While the gathered beside her to look, Ruby whispered, "There."

"Is that it?" Emma asked Robin. He squinted at their target. "It's the same color and shape."

"Well, there's only one way to safely find out then." David brought up his gun and aimed. The bear moved its head backward, as though looking at something. Then something moved behind it. Three cubs bounced into the river, splashing water. The bear turned, nuzzling the nearest cub. "Wait." Robin said. "That's not the bear that attacked us. The monster had one eye and a scarred face."

There was a whoosh, and a second later, Emma yelped as something scrapped her shoulder; the surprise forced her from her standing position to her knees. Within seconds, David and Hook fretted over her, making enough noise for the bear to lift its head and heard its cubs away, disappearing into the forest. Emma turned on her back and held her shoulder, pressing down on blood. "Are you all right?" David asked, taking her hand away to look at the wound.

"It's just a scratch. How did-"

Her question was answered when Robin pulled out an arrow from the tree that she had been leaning against. "Be on your guard, sheriff. Someone else is here." He turned to point his crossbow into the forest behind them. Hook and Ruby mirrored his movements, scanning the trees and bushes. Ruby sniffed. "There!" She pointed toward a tree on their left. Robin fired in the direction of her finger, and something moved, shaking the tree leaves. Then a hooded figure fell from the branches with a loud "oof!"

Ruby, Hook, and Robin rushed into action, moving toward their catch. They never made it. The ground suddenly vibrated so intensely, that they all swayed where they stood. Emma stumbled forward as some force slammed at the space behind her. Turning, she saw it. Red eyed and scared, just as Robin had described, the beast puffed in the small space between them. Warm, acrid breath blew against Emma's face. The creature stood up tall on its hind legs. David, Hook, and Ruby all screamed her name. Robin aimed his bow. Emma turned to run. The bear raised its hand. Its claw descended.

A shot was fired, and arrow stuck out of the bear's neck, and Emma tripped over her own feet to get away from the bear's arm. But it wasn't long before she had to roll away on the floor when the bear's foot came down mere inches from her face. Another shot was fired. Ruby wrapped her arms around her midsection and hauled her away. As she pulled away from the bear, Emma tried aiming her tranquilizer gun, but found it difficult to aim as both Hook and David were already on the beast, stabbing it. Their attacks were doing little good; the bear thrashed, easily deflecting their swords with a mere swing of its massive arms. Robin was shooting arrow after arrow at the monster, but he might as well have been throwing toothpicks.

The bear rose up and threw its arms wide and then swung down on Hook, sandwiching him between its fur and the dirt. "Hook!" Emma reached for her gun.

"Get down!"

Instinct spurred Emma into action. She ducked. Several things flew over her head, followed by the horrible smell of ammonia. A second later the bear roared. Looking up, Emma saw it shake its head violently, and then it charged. Ruby flung herself at Emma, knocking her out of the way as the bear barreled toward her, crunching leaves and branches under its paws. Trees were bent and broken as it crashed through the woods away from them, and, in the midst of it all, Emma thought she heard a small grunt of pain.

Finally, a painful silence loomed over them all, which ended when someone, Hook, took in a deep breath. "Are you okay?"

Hook stood, dusted himself off, and then waved off David's concern. "I'm fine mate. Though I can't say the same for my pride." He gingerly touched his chest. "I'm just glad that it ran off before it crushed my heart." He winked at Emma.

"I'd say we failed miserably." David sheathed his sword and then bent to pick up his gun, which had slipped from his fingers when the bear had been thrashing. "Bullets don't do much good against it, it seems."

"Indeed. Looks like my men and I won't be going back to the forest any time soon."

"I've never seen an animal like that before, and I'm a werewolf."

Emma watched as everyone around her breathed a collective sigh of both relief and resignation. She stared at the trail of destruction the bear had left behind as it escaped, and noticed a heap of cloth on the floor. Ignoring the others as they questioned what to do next, she made her way toward the dark, green bundle on the floor, but then quickly recoiled as the smell of ammonia threatened to choke her. An opened bottle of ammonia lay on the ground, its contents leaking into the dirt. Emma kicked it out of the way, and tried her best not to wipe her eyes.

Next to where the bottle had been, were scattered arrows, a beige bow, and an unconscious little girl with red fire for hair? "Hey guys! I think we found our ammonia thief."

* * *

><p><strong>END OF CHAPTER 2. <strong>


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